Disaster Assistance: Federal, State, and Local Responses to Natural Disasters Need Improvement

Abstract

Hurricane Hugo, which struck the U.S. Virgin Islands, Puerto Rico, and the Carolinas in September 1989, and California's Loma Prieta earthquake, which occurred in October 1989, caused multibillion-dollar damages and hardship for hundreds of thousands of people. These two major disasters represented an unprecedented challenge in the extent of damage and demands for staff and other resources for the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), which is charged with coordinating federal disaster assistance. Concerned about the timeliness, efficiency, and coordination of the federal response, several Members of Congress asked GAO to examine how FEMA and other federal agencies carried out their responsibilities. To respond to these requests, GAO reviewed federal, state, and local emergency management activities in California, North Carolina, Puerto Rico, South Carolina, and the Virgin Islands.

Open PDF

Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Mar 01, 1991
Accession Number
ADA263053

Entities

Organizations

  • United States Government Accountability Office

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Biomedical
  • Human Systems

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Business Administration
  • Civil Defense
  • Congress
  • Disaster Management
  • Disasters
  • Emergency Response
  • Employment
  • Environmental Protection
  • First Responders
  • Humanitarian Assistance
  • Interagency Coordination
  • Law
  • Management Personnel
  • Mobile Phones
  • Organizational Structure
  • Personnel Management
  • Radio Equipment

Readers

  • Defense Acquisition Program Management
  • Emergency Management and Homeland Security.